


Next In Line

by ruggedbrilliance



Category: One Direction (Band), Radio 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Angst with a Happy Ending, Everyone Loves Louis, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Getting Together, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Jealousy, M/M, Tomlinshaw - Freeform, Unrequited
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 06:32:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2802914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruggedbrilliance/pseuds/ruggedbrilliance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis does this thing where he has a really intense friendship with one person...until he moves on. Nick has no idea why he is suddenly Louis' favorite person, but after an illuminating conversation with Zayn he becomes terrified of being replaced. He doesn't know what he'd do if he lost Louis' attention, especially as he starts to realize how he really feels about him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Next In Line

**Author's Note:**

> So Tomlinshaw has happened. I really don't know how. This is also sort of a character study of Louis and his relationships, and how he is a king among very willing subjects and everyone love him (but he is also angsty and screwed up). Obviously this is complete fiction and does not represent any real facts about any of these people. Enjoy!

Nick was lounging on his couch watching a marathon of Great British Bake-Off when Pig suddenly perked up, then ran for the front door. He didn’t bother getting up because he assumed it was Louis, who would most certainly let himself in and then berate Nick for his laziness and call him a “truly terrible host”. He smiled at the thought. But that smile turned into a frown when he heard a knock.

Who on earth would be knocking at his door? All of his friends would either simply walk in or text so that he was expecting them. He unfolded himself off the sofa, joints creaking (he imagined Louis cackling and calling him an old man because of it.) He was even more confused when he looked through his peephole. There was a god on his doorstep.

“Well well, Zayn, to what do  I owe this immense pleasure?” he said as he pulled open the door. Zayn was dressed casually, his hair a mess, and he still looked as untouchably beautiful as always. Ugh, Nick needed to stop hanging out with so many gorgeous popstars, it was going to give him a complex.

“Thought we should talk, Grimmy. About Louis,” he said as he entered, bending down to give Pig some love. She looked like she’d died and gone to heaven. Zayn had that effect on everyone.

“Always liked that about you Malik; straight to the point. What has he done now?” He was very, very used to Louis’ antics by now; but it must be something big if Zayn was visiting him. Maybe he was having a sulk and needed to be cuddled out of it; Nick would be more than happy to help with that.

Nick gestured the pop-star over to his sofa and plopped himself down; Zayn followed by gracefully settling into an artful sprawl that looked like he was about to be photographed. Figures.

“Louis is dating you.”

Of all the things Nick expected, that wasn't even close to being on the list. He gaped like a fish for a moment before finding his voice.

“What? I don’t know where you get that idea, but I’m not dating Louis.” Nick said, even as a traitorous voice in his mind reminded him the he wished he was.

“Didn’t say that did I? Said he was dating you.” Zayn sighed. “At least, that’s the best way we’ve come up with to describe this thing he does, me and the lads.”

“What thing? I’m sorry, but what the hell are you on about?” Nick was very, very confused, and at the same time he was starting to get a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Zayn sighed again. “I’ll explain, but don’t take any of this the wrong way ok? Louis loves you, remember that. He loves all of us; he doesn’t know how not to. But I’m sure you know by now that he has...quirks. Issues, you could say. We think he’s probably always done stuff like this, but from where I’m sitting, I guess it started with Harry.”

And that, Nick thought, made sense. Everything always started with Harry. 

* * *

“Grimmy pleeeeease!” Harry whined. “If you two could just be nice to each other for five minutes I know you’d get on!”

“Harold, I am appalled at you! I am always nice. I am a saint. It’s not my fault that your friend is a tiny demon monster.”

Harry put on his best pouty face (which since he looked like a puppy crossed with a cherub was pretty damn effective). “He’s great when you get to know him, really! He just gets a little prickly with you because you always try to wind him up. I’m telling you, if you would both just behave for once you would become friends; you really have a lot in common.”

“A little prickly? Haz, last time I saw him he spilled an entire bottle of wine on me. From someone else’s table.”

“He said that was an accident...”

“Harry. He got up from out table, stole a bottle of wine  from a couple on a date, came back and poured it on me. Just because I said he was shorter than me. Which is literally just a fact.”

“He bought that couple another bottle actually. And you know he’s sensitive about his body.”

Nick huffed.

“Just please be nice to him tonight ok? He’s on his way over for movie night right now and I really want us all to get along.”

“Movie night? You mean I have to be around Tomlinson AND try to sit still for two hours? Movies are so boring and long!”

Harry pouted harder, if possible. Damn those irresistible pleading eyes. Nick knew he was beat.

“You know what? Fine! But if you want me to be nice, there had better be alcohol.”

Harry brightened immediately, throwing himself at Nick and wrapping him up in a cuddle. “Of course! So much wine for Grimmy. You’ll see; tonight will be great.” 

* * *

“Everyone knows how Harry and Louis were when the band first got together. It was even more intense being right there next to them, watching it happen. Louis is so magnetic, and Harry was pulled right in. It really isn’t surprising that so many people think they are in love, even after things have changed over the years.”

“Were they ever...” Nick couldn’t stop himself. He had wanted to ask Harry several times, and Louis once they became friends, but he didn’t want to be just another one of those annoying people.

Zayn just laughed. “No, not at all. Probably kissed a few times, I doubt anything more though. That’s kind of the point I’m trying to make.”

Nick was still not really following. Of course he knew of the epic phenomenon that was Larry Stylinson, had witnessed it himself a few times in the early years. Harry and Louis were still close, still best friends, but with no where near the level of all-consuming intensity of a few years prior. He still had no idea what any of this had to do with him, or what was so important for Zayn Malik to be sitting in his living room alone.

“It’s kind of hard to explain I guess. But I mean, you know Louis. You know how we all are with him, I’m not too proud to admit that he pretty much rules us when he wants to. Everything is always on Louis’ terms, including relationships. He chose Harry immediately; devoted all his attention to him, got Harry to latch onto him completely, loved him fiercely. They were basically in a relationship without the relationship, get it?”

Nick was maybe starting to see where this was going. “Well, then what happened?”

Zayn laughed slightly, but without humor. “He moved on to someone else.”

* * *

It was late, and Harry was snoring. The third movie of the night was playing quietly on the tv, but Nick had no idea what it was (he could barely pay attention to the first one). And he had not had nearly enough alcohol to be, for all intensive purposes, alone in a room with a mussed and cuddly looking (but oh-so-deadly) Louis Tomlinson.

The night had actually gone well so far, or about as well as it could. Louis had greeted him with a none-too-clever but biting “hey fuckface,” but after a pinch to the side from Harry and no immediate snide comeback from Nick he seemed to settle down a bit. From then it was pretty easy to simply ignore each other for Harry’s sake; the curly lad seemed thrilled just to have his two favorite people in the same room, so he chattered happily enough for all three of them.

But now he’d gone and conked out because he was truly a child who couldn’t hold his red wine and left them alone together in a darkened flat with no buffer. Nick snuck a sideways glance to where Louis was sitting with Harry snuggled into his lap, but he caught him looking.

“What.” he not-quite-whispered harshly.

Nick turned back towards the TV immediately. “Nothing.”

Louis huffed, and then after a moment he oh-so-gently extracted himself from Harry, laying his head on the sofa and smiling fondly down at him for a moment. These moments always threw Nick for a bit of a loop; he had a hard time reconciling the caring, fiercely protective Louis that was directed at his friends with the absolutely nightmare Louis that Nick usually got to see. He padded softly across the room towards the kitchen, and Nick was not too proud to watch his bum as he went. He may be a nightmare, but he was at least he was a fit one.

He had no idea what possessed him, maybe just intense boredom, but he got up and followed him. He found him, surprisingly, filling a pot on the stove with milk.

“Thought you weren't allowed to use the burners unsupervised?”

Louis jumped in surprise and whirled around. Nick expected him to say something rude, but instead he almost smiled.

“Supervise me then.” He said.

Nick raised an eyebrow, but Louis just looked defiantly back, so he moved closer to him.

“What are we making then?”

“Hot cocoa.” Louis responded.

“Oh? Aren’t you a diehard tea-man? And why don’t you just microwave it?” Nick said.

Louis scoffed. “Gotta do it properly, I’m not a peasant. Cocoa is serious business”

“I have literally never seen you take anything seriously.” Which was not exactly true, Nick knew Louis was very serious about his career, and his friends. But he didn’t strike him as the type to care about the proper preparation of a kiddie drink.

“Mum used to make it for us.” Louis mumbled, almost to himself. And, well. Nick was a bit of a dick, but he knew better than to say shit about anyone’s family, especially any of the 1D boys. He knew from Harry that they all had a hard time leaving so young, and got homesick even now; Louis more so than anyone. Lord knows it still made Nick’s chest ache a bit when he thought of how little time he gets to spend with his own parents.

“My mum is a bit of a rubbish cook. Makes fantastic pancakes though. Never have a satisfying pancake day if I can’t make it home.” Nick had no idea why he was offering this information to Louis, but he had a fondness for him in this moment; barefoot and tiny in his best friend’s kitchen, making himself a treat to remind him of home.

Louis looked at him, seeming a little surprised, before he turned back to stirring the pot.  It was quiet for the next few minutes, with Nick trying not to start as Louis finished up and poured the chocolatey drink into two (two!) mugs. He retrieved a can of whipped cream from the fridge, topped each mugs and then sat one of the cups on the island in front of Nick.

Nick was a lot of things, but stupid wasn't one of them, and he knew a peace offering when he saw one. So he didn’t even comment on the fact that he had been given almost half as much whip as his companion, simply accepted the drink with a thanks.

Louis came around and sat next to him at the island, and they sat together in comfortable silence, sipping hot chocolate. And that was that.

* * *

“What do you mean, he moved on? I always wondered what happened with them, but are you saying he just tossed Harry to the curb?” Nick was angry at the insinuation, for both Harry and Louis.

Zayn shook his head. “Not exactly, no. Not in a mean spirited way. I mean, Harry was a hurt a bit at first, but I don’t know. He’s always understood Lou better than any of us, even now. I think they were both growing up, growing apart a little, and all the insinuations from the fans certainly didn’t help, although they didn’t do nearly the damage people seem to think they did. But it was weird the way it happened. One day it was Harry, and then the next, pretty much out of no where, it was Liam.”

* * *

Things got weird after the hot chocolate incident. Out of the blue, it seemed like Louis Tomlinson was his friend.

Make no mistake, they were still mean to each other. They still made rude remarks to each other and they still thought the other had positively horrible taste in almost everything. But somehow it worked. They started laughing together instead of at each other, and they were both terribly bitchy in a glorious way that Harry didn’t put up with, which led to them texting mean and gossipy things about other people at all hours of the day.

They started occasionally walking their dogs together after they were introduced and it became clear that Pig was absolutely smitten with Bruce (his dog had no dignity, honestly). They started hanging out more and more without Harry, without anyone but the two of them. The first time they were over at Nick’s watching Xfactor and Louis casually snuggled himself against him, Nick almost jumped out of his skin, but after awhile it just became another thing. Louis was tactile with everyone in his life, it really wasn’t that strange.

The strange part came when Nick found himself handing Louis a key to his flat. It wasn’t all that special; Aimee, Alexa and Harry all had one and Nick was a lazy sod who hated having to let people in. Still, it felt significant somehow when Louis seemed to freeze when he held it out to him.

“What’s that for?” Louis asked.

Nick tried to act casual, even though his heart was pounding. “It appears to be a key, so I’d assume it was for a door, popstar. My door to be exact. If you’re going to insist on being obsessed with me I might as well give you easy access.”

“Me obsessed? ‘Lou I’m sooo bored, come over! Lou don’t make me go to Pixie’s posh brunch by myself. Lou my dog likes you so much better than she does me, you have to help me bathe her because I can’t make her behave.”

“That is a gross misrepresentation of events. Pig doesn’t even like you.” Nick said, which was an outright lie. His dog was a traitor.

“Well I don’t even like you. Why would I want to keep coming here when I have to look at your face.” Louis scoffed, but he was smiling.

“My face is a gift,” Nick said haughtily. “Unlike your little rat face, which is always infesting my flat. Must be crazy to give you free reign of the place.”

“I've been saying you’re crazy for years, Nicholas. I’m glad you’ve finally admitted it.” Louis said evilly.

“You know what? I change my mind. No key for you.” Nick pouted.

“Good. I didn't even want the stupid thing.”

Nick gave Louis the key later that night as he was leaving. He took it with a smile. 

* * *

“I think it kind of terrified Liam a bit at first to be honest, having all that attention suddenly on him. Especially because they didn’t quite get on at first.” Zayn said.

“Oh yeah, almost forgot about the epic struggle of daddy direction vs. the troublemaker,” Nick said with a smile. Liam used to be so uptight.

“Right, so it was kinda weird at first, not an obvious lightning strike of compatibility like with Lou and Haz. At first it was mostly Louis trying to lighten him up, and it seemed to become his mission in life to make sure Liam had fun no matter what. And it started to work. Then they just become inseparable; true partners in crime. I think Liam had a steadying effect on Louis as well, which was something he really needed all the time. With Harry he was always the protector, he took charge, but Liam usually had a good handle on everything and Louis could just relax for once.”

Nick had to cut in. “So he became closer to one friend than another, it happens all the time in friend groups. It seems like you’re making a lot out of nothing. Sure, Harry and Louis had this crazy epic non-romance romance, but I hardly remember many headlines about Louis and Liam.”

Zayn gave him an unimpressed look. “We had all grown up a bit by then, and Louis especially had seen the backlash of being seen as too close to another guy. So he was a little more careful. Plus, he loves all of us differently. That’s important to remember. It’s not just about finding what he had with Harry with someone else; I think he looks for different things depending upon what he needs at the time, and that’s how he picks who to focus on. But it’s still the same single-minded, all encompassing focus.”

“Why?” Nick asked, interrupting again.

Zayn shrugged a bit. “I’m not too sure. I think on the one hand, Louis is a really passionate person, he likes to devote his all to people, but he can’t really do it for more than one person at a time. And on the other hand...I don’t want this to sound bad.”

Zayn paused a bit, seeming to gather his thoughts. “I don’t know, maybe you’ll understand this a bit, not sure if you were ever really closeted but. I think part of it is that Louis really, really wants a relationship. A real relationship, with someone to love, in the gender that he prefers. But he can’t exactly have that right now, or doesn’t think that he can, or isn’t ready to accept that part of himself. So he just likes to pretend, while he can.”

“So that’s what you meant by him dating me. You think he’s using me to fill some sort of void.” Nick couldn’t help but sound offended.

“Don’t take it the wrong way, I’m not slagging you off or anything. I know how hard it is not to be completely pulled in by him. Hell, before you,” Zayn laughed, “before you, it was me.”

* * *

It was Nick’s birthday, and it fell on a Tuesday. Tuesday! The worst day of the entire week! Not to mention the fact that he had not had the foresight to take any time off the following day, so he couldn’t even go out and properly celebrate if he didn’t want to do the breakfast show with a spectacular hangover. Again.

Sure, he was having a massive blowout party on Friday that would likely last the entire weekend. And he did have a perfectly lovely dinner with his parents that night. But now he was home, on his birthday, alone. Not to mention the fact that he had to deal with the fact that he had finally turned...

Nope. Best not even think of it. He had held it together all day, he was not going to have an age related freak out until he was surrounded by friends who could  stroke his hair and tell him he was pretty while buying him shots.  He flopped down onto his bed face first into the pillows. It was eight o’clock. He was going to go to bed at 8 pm on his birthday so that he could be responsible and perform well at work. God, he was ancient.

Suddenly he felt a weight on his back as he was pounced on. He was too busy wallowing to even hear the door opening. He immediately rolled onto his side, dislodging the popstar with a small oof. He flipped around and found himself looking into Louis’ mischievous blue eyes.

“Happy birthday, old man.” He said with a smirk. “How does it feel to be--”

Nick groaned and tried to cover Louis’ mouth. “No no no don’t say it!”

The smaller lad wriggled away though. “--30! The big three-oh. Do you remember me, or is your mind already starting to go? I’m Louis, your much younger and fitter friend.”

Nick whined. “Why have you come here just to torture me? You can’t be mean to me on my birthday!”

“Mean? Please, I’m the nicest person you know. I don’t see anyone else here making sure you aren’t left alone on your birthday to wallow in self pity.” Louis was mocking, but there was a hint of sincerity.

Nick laid his head on Louis’ shoulder. It was a weird position and took some maneuvering because of their size difference, but he was gratified when Louis began stroking his hair.

“It’s just, I’m so old. Thirty is like, proper adult. I’m supposed to have my life together by now, and I’m just a silly man-child. Half the country just thinks of me as a celebrity hanger-on.” Nick knew he was being over-dramatic, but he always got whiny on his birthdays.

Louis’ voice was serious when he spoke, his hand stilling in Nick’s hair. “Hey, you’re proper successful, you know that right? Your fans love you. You work really hard and people respect that. Your friends love you and...you’re not afraid to be yourself. Be who you really are. That’s a big deal, Nick. You should be proud.”

Nick turned his face into Louis’ chest to hide his blush, and the way his eyes might be a little suspiciously misty. “Thanks Lou. Not just for that, but for coming. I really didn’t feel like being alone tonight. And you didn’t have to, so. Yeah.”

Louis scoffed and resumed petting Nick’s hair. “You’re like my best friend, loser. Of course I’m here.” He cleared his throat. “Enough sappy talk; shut up so I can get some sleep, since I know you’ll wake me at the ungodly hour you call morning.”

Nick smiled, snuggled further into Louis, and went to sleep.

* * *

“So...are you here to yell at me for stealing your fake boyfriend then?” Nick asked awkwardly.

Zayn laughed a real, genuine laugh this time. “No way mate, that’s a little fucked up. Although...I mean, it’s weird. It does kind of start to feel like an actual relationship in a way. Pez even asked me once if I was hooking up with Louis while we were on tour.”

Nick’s eyes went wide. “Seriously? How did that conversation go?”

“She seemed weirdly disappointed that we weren't. I think she found it hot.” Zayn shrugged.

Nick laughed. Beautiful people were so weird.

Zayn turned serious again though. “But do you get what I’m saying, mate?”

“I mean, I guess. Louis latches on and has these really intense friendship/pretend relationships, and then moves on. I don’t know why you felt the need to come down here and explain that in story form. I don’t even know how we became best friends, it’s not like I expected it to last forever.” That last bit wasn’t really a lie; he didn’t expect it to last forever, but he did really, really hope it would.

“Nick, I’m straight.” Zayn said.

“A fact that I lament daily, prince. What’s your point?” Nick cut in.

Zayn didn't look happy to be interrupted. “I’m straight, and I have a fiancee who is beautiful and the love of my life. I still count Louis as one of my best friends and I spend tons of time with him.”

Nick couldn’t help himself. “Are we just stating facts now or are we going to approach a point?”

Zayn glared. “My point is, all of those things are true, and it still hurt when Louis refocused his attention to you. He’s...he’s something else, you know? Having all that energy and passion focused right on you, it really is great. And seeing him move on, it’s not the greatest thing in the world. And I’m here because...”

Zayn took a deep breath, seeming to steady himself, and ah Nick thought, here comes the point at last.

“Nick, I’m here because I can’t imagine how I would feel having all Louis’ attention, then having it all taken away, if I was in love with him.”

* * *

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Dun dun DUN! Next part to come. Constructive criticism/suggestions are very welcome! And yes I had way too much fun having Nick mentally describe Zayn. Next part will actually have more Louis in it and not just people talking about him.


End file.
